Jobs in nursing in social justice

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Oct 29, 2016

You have a great heart. However, you cannot afford to get arrested as a nurse. Find some other way to help.

Kitiger, RN · Oct 29, 2016

I think you're right about not doing anything illegal; you want to keep that license.

You have time. Keep your eyes open. There are a lot of ways that nurses can help organizations that do humanitarian efforts. I'm guessing that many of those organizations are peopled by those who want to make a difference, a good difference ... people who are not content to do the same old, same old.

I think I like your sister, too.

nutella, MSN, RN · Oct 29, 2016

Getting arrested is definitely something to avoid as a nurse.

I am not sure what you mean by "liberal lifestyle" as that could mean anything and everything. Being an activist how? There are many ways of engaging in social justice that do not involve getting arrested. If you feel strongly about social justice in your community you could look into volunteering for something like restorative justice in your community. There are probably also employers who are more willing to accept "free spirited" nurses - I have noticed that some mental health facilities seem to be more lenient as long as you are otherwise ok and have good boundaries and so on.

I have not noticed that most nurses are conservative - I think it depends on where you live and where you work, I found that some nurses are more conservative, but the younger generation seems different. However, I do not consider myself as conservative but do not have any problems - I do not go to work to exchange political or social justice views, I go to work to do my work...

verene, MSN · Oct 29, 2016

You are correct in that doing anything that would get you arrested is not something yo should be doing as a nurse. However I think maybe you need to broaden your horizons as to what social justice looks like. Picketing and bringing attention to an issue is just one facet. As a nurse you have practical skills that you can bring to help serve marginalized populations with in your own community.

The following are just a few things I've seen or heard of nurses, nursing students, or APRNs doing to contribute to their communities and eliminate health disparities:

Partnership clinic with local homeless outreach agency. The agency provides space, and the clinic is entirely staffed by nursing, medical, dental, pharmacy, and social work students all volunteers, and all overseen by volunteer preceptors from their respective professions.

A WHNP in the area has a group which provides STI screenings and other services to homeless and low income women in our community. The group also runs drives to collect sanitary napkins and tampons for distribution to local homeless shelters and mobile clinics.

A nursing student with a strong interest in L/D has training as a doula and volunteers as a doula for incarcerated expectant mothers, providing support and education.

A CNM is a driving force in changing the political environment for women's healthcare in our state. She does research, lobbies in local and state political forums, and advocates for the rights of women, and the midwifery profession.

Another nurse volunteers with a free clinic held monthly in the community.

These are just a few examples. As a nurse there are so many potential opportunities out there from hands on care, to advocacy, to education, to serve our communities. Keep your eyes open for opportunities. If you aren't finding opportunities - create some!

I think the conservatism you are running into may just be your work place or your region. In my area social justice is a huge emerging concept in our local healthcare landscape, and most of the nurses I know are fairly liberal.

Cowboyardee · Oct 29, 2016

One thing about the disenfranchised, downtrodden, and underprivileged: they often need medical attention.

I hope you don't take offense when I point out that it's a waste for a nurse to get arrested doing something any warm body could do just as well (waving a sign around, standing on the wrong side of some line, etc). Just as it would be a waste for a lawyer to get arrested protesting the pipeline - said lawyer would be a lot more valuable by volunteering his professional services for the same cause.

There are about a million ways you can volunteer your skills either at home or abroad. Some of the larger protest movements (Occupy Wall Street, for example) have had nurses set up volunteer medical tents. Whether or not your hospital has a conservative environment, participating in liberal causes doesn't get you fired; getting arrested and prosecuted gets you fired.

As far as your career goes, I'm afraid I don't know of any specific jobs to point you towards. Some of the larger charitable organizations employ nurses on a steady basis, I believe - the American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Unicef, etc.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2016

Population health interventions examine nursing issues through a social justice lens. There are many avenues that you can pursue without being overly radical.

One of the reasons why I pursued a role in education is that I wanted to be able to positively influence staff and influence programs. The health care organization is very frustrating, because we typically employ a top down approach that doesn't work, yet we continue.

Anyway, I have some input into key decision making processes this way. Volunteer for committees and working groups, instead of taking the radical approach.

annabanana2 · Oct 29, 2016

The jobs you're looking for totally exist, they just require a little digging. Any hospitals in your area have an "urban medicine" unit? Or maybe a unit that specializes in working with folks with addictions, or concurrent disorders, or HIV/AIDS? Are you willing to work in the community rather than the hospital? Are there medical outreach teams in your city? Would you consider home health in an underserved area? Would you consider working in community addictions or mental health or both?

I'm fortunate that while I live in a place with a lot of desperation, poverty, addiction, homelessness and mental illness, I also work for people that believe in harm reduction and working with our clients to meet them where they are and provide really client-centered care. I work at our supervised injection site as well as in more specialized medical outreach that we call home health (but it looks a bit different than what American home health does). It is work that fits very well with my values. The only thing I would mention is that this is sometimes very emotionally difficult work and I am careful not to burn myself out by working too much, or too much in one place. Something to think about.

Wile E Coyote, ASN, RN · Oct 29, 2016

You've been given great jumping-off points to explore, so I'll add this small thought...

I hope to never work somewhere where everyone thinks too alike.

RNperdiem, RN · Oct 29, 2016

Activism doesn't always stand in the picket line and wave a sign. Did you know Florence Nightengale was a powerful and effective activist? She completely reformed the British Army medical system and withstood a lot of opposition in the process. Florence had political connections and she put them to work. Before her activism, soldiers were housed in squalid conditions, were barely cared for or properly fed. While out sick and injured in battle, they were not paid.

Community volunteerism is available if you go looking. Big activism requires some political connections and/or power.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2016

"Social justice" doesn't have to include civil or legal disobedience.

michaelaellie · Oct 29, 2016

Thanks everyone for your really thoughtful responses! I am very touched that every one of you responded positively and encouraged me. I'm overwhelmed by all of these suggestions and I'm feeling very excited about my future as a nurse. I knew I probably shouldn't get arrested, but I did really need to hearsomeone else telling me it. So thanks for that too.